People within this group will be a former married person who is now on their own but they have not yet reached the retirement age yet. They might want to have company a lot of the time and enjoy family days out and coach trips to the seaside.
This group is for people that have retired. How much they can do in ways of leisure activities will depend a lot on their physical fitness and their socio- economic group standing. They will have a lot of time on their hands to get involved with leisure activities so a lot of people in this group tend to play cards, golf and see old friends.
The majority of people (17%) reported undertaking no physical activity; 12% had been walking or hiking for an average of 108 minutes; 9% went swimming indoors for 34 minutes; and 7% either went to a keep-fit or aerobics class for 49 minutes or cycled for 26 minutes. Six per cent of respondents reported playing snooker, pool or billiards for an average of 26 minutes in the past four weeks.
Table 2 indicates that the most frequently reported leisure time activity was eating or drinking out somewhere (23%), then shopping (18%), another outdoor trip (11%), or going to the library (9%).
An analysis of Time Use Survey data by ONS (2003a) shows differences in an individual’s use of time between weekdays and weekends. During the week, 77% of adults are awake and out of bed by 8 am, with 36% at work or studying by 9 am, and this increases to 43% by 11 am. Housework and free time predominate after 4 pm, with an evening peak in free time for 63% of adults at 9 pm. Mealtimes were usually 8 am, 1 pm and 6 pm. By midnight 80% of adults are asleep.
At weekends, adults get up later, work less and spend more time on housework, travel and free-time activities, although 9 pm remains the peak hour for free time. People tend to go to bed later at the weekend, with 73% in bed at midnight.
Those who travel to work in London and the south east spend more time commuting, with an average of 4 hours 20 minutes a week, while those in the south west spend the least time commuting, at 3 hours 20 minutes a week.
This table represents selected activities performed in free time by sex in England.
Watching television was found to be the most common leisure activity because there was over eight out of ten men and women in England in 2006/07 (84 per cent and 85 per cent respectively). Spending time with family and friends was the second most popular activity for eight out of ten women (82 per cent) compared with more than seven in ten men (75 per cent).
The results also show that women were also more likely to shop in their free time than men, with three-quarters (75 per cent) doing so compared with just over half of men (53 per cent). Similarly women were more likely to take part in cultural activities such as reading (73 per cent compared with 56 per cent of men) and arts and crafts (25 per cent compared with 13 per cent).
On the other hand men were more likely to perform physical activities such as DIY (46 per cent compared with 26 per cent of women) and sport and exercise (58 per cent compared with 43 per cent of women). Men were also more likely to use the Internet (49 per cent and 40 per cent respectively) and twice the proportion of men than women played computer games (27 per cent and 12 per cent respectively).
Men are more likely to have shopped online than women. Nearly six out of ten men in the UK (58 per cent) had ever purchased over the Internet in 2007 compared with just under half of women (48 per cent). Overall the most popular internet purchases in the 12 months prior to interview were films, music or DVDs, which a slightly higher proportion of men than women purchased (53 per cent and 49 per cent respectively).
Around twice the proportion of men purchased computer software and hardware and electronic equipment than women. For example, 26 per cent of men purchased electronic equipment compared with 13 per cent of women. Conversely a higher proportion of women than men used the Internet to purchase food and groceries (24 per cent of women and 17 per cent of men) and tickets for events (36 per cent compared with 31 per cent).
This table represents the selected sports, games and physical activities among adults by sex in England.
The most popular sporting activity (excluding walking), according to 14 per cent of all adults aged 16 and over in England who participated in sports in 2006/07, was indoor swimming or diving. This was the most popular sporting activity for women (17 per cent). The second most popular category of sporting activity was health, fitness, gym, or conditioning activities (14 per cent). Although there was very little difference in the proportion of men and women participating in this activity, it was the one most favoured by men along with outdoor football (both 14 per cent).
Outdoor football was one of the sporting activities that had the largest difference in level of participation between men and women: 14 per cent of men had participated in the last four weeks compared with 2 per cent of women. The other large difference between men and women was participation in snooker, pool or billiards, where just 3 per cent of women participated compared with 12 per cent of men. Conversely women participated in keep-fit, aerobics and dance exercise more than men, 10 per cent compared with 3 per cent.
Sports Centres
In my opinion I think that every types of person is likely to use sports centres because everyone is likely to want to keep fit and healthy in one way or another and these days sports centres offer such a variety of activities to take part in that almost everyone can go along and they will have something suitable for almost every individual. The only people that might not be able to take part in using a leisure centre would be those in “Full Nest 1” because they will be so busy looking after the children and might not have enough time or energy to go to a sports centre. There is a similar situation with “Full Nest 2” because the parents still have young children that they need to look after. Another group of people that might not visit Sports Centres are the "Solitary Survivors 2”. These people are usually old and their physical capability may limit them from what they can do.
Sports centres are beneficial to people’s health because if people use the gym or the swimming pool then they will obviously get fitter and benefit greatly from being fit and healthy. As well as this, sports centres also have many different activities that people can get involved in which aren’t just physical health related and this can help to calm and relax and make you a healthier person.
Here is a list of the sports centres that you will find in Bishop’s Stortford:
- Grange Paddocks Pool and Gym
- Two swimming pools
- Solarium
- 13 football pitches
- Outdoor trim trail
- Challenge Gym and Fitness Centre
- Brand new refurbishment
- Variety of the latest gym equipment
- Tanning sessions
- Cannons Health and Fitness
- The facilities included within this venue are:
- Swimming pool
- Gym
- 2 fitness studios
- 2 beauty treatment rooms
- Spa
- Steam room / Sauna
- Club lounge
- Crèche
- Café
- Osteopath
- Over 50 classes a week
- The Bishops Stortford Sports Hall
- The facilities included within this venue are:
- Multi purpose sports hall
- 5 badminton courts
- Martial arts
- 5-aside football
- Netball, basketball etc
- School holiday activities
- Disabled facilities
Other Active Sports Clubs
The groups of people that are likely to get involved with these are the same people that are involved in the section before on sports centres because if people have young children then they are not likely to going to have a lot of leisure time to take part in activities and if they do then they are likely to be very tired so this includes “Full Nest 1 and 2”. People in “Solitary Survivor 2” are also unlikely to participate in active sports clubs because they will be elderly and less physically able to take part in active sports like these.
Active sports are very good for your health. It is extremely beneficial to all aspects of health. It will help to improve all components of fitness and also helps you socially because you meet a lot of new people and friends through playing sport.
Here is a list of some of the active sports clubs that you will find in Bishop’s Stortford:
- Lakeside Superbowl- bowling
- Bishop’s Stortford Hockey Club
- Bishop’s Stortford Tennis Club
- Chantry Squash Club
- Bishop’s Stortford Rugby Club
- Bishop’s Stortford Swimming Clubs
- Bishop’s Stortford Golf Club
- Bishop’s Stortford Canoe Club
- Bishop’s Stortford Running Club
Gyms
Different types of people are likely to use different gyms because there are some gyms that focus specifically on different types of people. The only people that are not likely to use the gym is Solitary Survivors 1 and 2 because they are older and less aware and bothered about their physical fitness than younger people and they are a lot less physically able so they wont be able to do the exercises and meet the physical fitness demands that going to the gym asks for.
Going to the gym is extremely bifacial for an individual’s health because it helps to improve all of your components of fitness. Personal exercise programmes can be made so that your fitness programme suits you and your fitness level and you can improve and work on different components that you feel you need to work on so the gym can suit everyone.
Here is a list of the gyms that you will find in Bishop’s Stortford:
- Challenge Gym
- Cannons Health Club
- Little Gym
- Curves Ladies Gym
- Peak Fitness Ltd.
- Power Station Gymnasium
Other Sports Clubs
- Bishop’s Stortford Chess Club
- Rotary Club of Bishop’s Stortford- Card playing
Cafes
Every type of person is likely to visit a café. Mothers with young children are because they can take their child there whilst they have a cup of tea or if they have any free leisure time then they might choose to meet up with a friend and go for a drink and a chat at a café.
Cafes are good for an individual’s health because very often people go to a café with their friend to socialise and it can also help them to get away from any stresses that they might have at home. Also the food at cafes is always quite healthy.
Here is a list of some of the cafes that you will find in Bishop’s Stortford:
- The Copper Kettle
- Morelli’s Cappuccino
- Gluttons
- Phillers
- Lizzies Café
- Bridge The Gap Café
- Starbucks Coffee
- The Terrace
- Costa Coffee
Restaurants
I feel that almost every type of person is able to use a restaurant but people included within the groups Solitary Survivor 1 and 2 are less likely because they are older and are more likely to want to other things like going to a café at lunch or going on day trips to the seaside rather than a restaurant because they might not really have anyone to go with. Families often like to go out for meals together at a restaurant so this includes Full Nest 1, Full Nest 2 Full Nest 3, Empty Nest 1 and Empty Nest 2 because these people might meet up with their children and go for a family dinner even thought they don’t live with them. Bachelors are likely to go to a restaurant because they might be regularly taking people for dates or going out with friends because they are young and at the age where they want to do things like that. Newly marries couples might still be at the stage where they want to go out for dinner together or they might go out with friends regularly for dinner so they are still likely to visit restaurants.
Restaurants are good for an individuals health because they can be a form of stress relief because it gets people in a nice atmosphere with their friends, family or partner so can also be very beneficial on the social side of things.
Here is a list of some of the different types of restaurant that you will find in Bishop’s Stortford:
- Café Masala
- Polash Restaurant
- Raj
- Shadhona Restaurant
- Tandoori Cottage
- Salma Tandoori
● Chinese Restaurants
- Jades Restaurant
- Stortford Gardens
- The Rivermill
- Fortune House
● Other
- Lussmans
- Host Restaurant and Bar
- The Lemon Tree
- Pizza Express
- Zizzi
● Fast Food
- Shekos
- Fish ‘n’ Chicken
- Master Fryer
- The Kebabery
- Dial a Pizza
- Curipza
Pubs
Everyone is likely to visit a pub but it mainly depends on what type of pub it is. If it is a nice quiet family pub then people in the groups Full Nest 1, Full Nest 2, Full Nest 3, Empty Nest 1 and Empty Nest 2 because the atmosphere will be what suits them and will be welcoming to them and the rest of their family so they might visit their to go for lunch or maybe to visit other family friends for drinks. Solitary Survivors 1 and 2 are likely to visit a quiet local pub to meet up with a friend or family for a social drink if the atmosphere suits them. Newly married couples might go to a family pub to meet family or friends for a drink but they are also likely to visit a more lively pub with friends to go for a night out as is a bachelor. Bachelors are more likely visit a lively pub with friends for drinks and a lively night out involving quite a lot of drinking rather than just a quiet drink.
Pubs are good for an individuals health because it allows them to socialise with friends and family. It can help you to make new friends when you go out and you become a lot better socially. It can also get you away from the hard stresses that work and general life can give people.
Here is quite a long list of some of the pubs that you will find in Bishop’s Stortford:
- Archers
- Harvest Moon
- Half Moon
- Castle
- Bricklayers Arms
- Wheatsheaf
- Star
- Black Lion
- Chicago’s
- H20
- JR’s
- Boars Head
- Three Tonnes
- Coach and Horses
- The Fountain
- The Cock Inn
- The Jolly Brewers
- The Nags Head
- The Red Cow
- The Three Horseshoes
- Tanners Arms
- Rose and Crown
- The Marne Inn
- The Bridge House
- The Ark
Shopping
Shopping is an activity that can be enjoyed and taken part in by everyone. There are so many different types of shop that are aimed at specific groups of people that everyone can go shopping and find shops that suit the type of thing that they are looking for. Shopping is an activity that is essential for everyone because people need to buy food to survive and new clothes on regular occasions so it is something that has been made an activity for everyone to enjoy. Better public transport means that people can access shopping areas more easily and elderly people can also travel on buses for no charge.
Shopping is good for an individual’s health because firstly it gets people moving, walking and out of the house. Although it is not very physically demanding a lot of walking can be done but it doesn’t feel like you are doing fitness because you are doing something you enjoy. As well as helping your fitness it is also a very sociable activity. A lot of people like to go shopping with their friends or family so that they can get advice on clothes that they are buying and people very often make a day out of a shopping trip. It is a very relaxing activity because there is no stress. You shop where you want to shop and buy what you want to buy so you can do what you want so a lot of people go shopping as a stress relief. A lot of people like to go shopping at the weekend because it takes them away from the daily stresses of a general routined life and gives them the ability to do what they want.
Here is a list of some of the shops you will find in Bishop’s Stortford. I have not put down all of the shops because the list will be far too long but I have shown that there is a lot of variation with the types of shops that there are located in the same place:
- Marks and Spencers
- Burtons
- Dorothy Perkins
- Laura Ashley
- Pearsons
- Zelley’s
- Carr and Bury
- Argos
- Wilkinsons
- Phone shops- 3, Vodaphone, T-Mobile, 02, Orange
- Clintons
- New Look
- Monsoon
- Sainsburys
- Loads of Charity Shops
- W. H. Smith
- Homebase
- H. Samuel
- Boots
- Blockbuster
- Tesco
- Waitrose
- Deejay Shoes
- Cloud Nine
- Virgo
- Fluke
- Travis Perkins
- Early Learning Centre
- Motor World
- Halfords
- Brides 2 B
- Bodice and Bustle
- Sony Centre
- Superdrug
- Starbucks
- Costa Coffee
- Focus DIY
- Carols
- Scott’s Sports
- QS
- Fat Face
- Card Factory
- There are many more different types of shops
Other Activities and Clubs
This covers a massive area of leisure activities that can be taken part in ranging from active leisure like going to the park, dancing and acting, to camera clubs, to rifle clubs to going to cinema. Everything is covered in this indiscriminate list of leisure activities. This random list enables everyone to get involved because there is something that would suit everyone’s wants and needs.
This list of other clubs and activities all help to improve an individual’s health mainly because of the social aspect. They all involve people having to converse with others and this helps their social side in life and can therefore act as a stress relief and help individuals to get away from the reality and stress than they might encounter in every day life.
Here is a list of some of the other activities and clubs that you will find in Bishop’s Stortford. Obviously there will be a lot more but I have only written these because there is such a massive difference between what the different clubs do and their intentions but they all have some similar ambitions:
- Barrelsdown Road
- Bishop’s Park
- Burley Road
- Cannons Close
- Dimsdale Crescent
- Knebworth Court
- Lower Park Crescent
- Northolt Avenue
- Parsonage Lane
- Next to Sainsbury’s
- The Barons
- Trinity Street
- Waytemore Road
● Bishop’s Stortford Camera Club
● Bishop’s Stortford Rifle Club
● Acoustic Club
● Bishop’s Stortford Breakfast Club
● Sunday Club at Churches
● Rotary Club of Bishop’s Stortford
● Working Men’s Club
● Drama Acting and Singing Clubs
- Actability
- Bishop’s Stortford Musical Theatre Company
- Heath Players
- SNAP Theatre Company
- Bishop’s School of Performing Arts
- Apton Dance Studio
- Jenny Myhill School of Dance and Performing Arts
- Footlights Theatre Dance School
● Museums
- Bishop’s Stortford Museum
- The Mural
- Rhodes Art Complex
- The House on the Hill Toy Museum
● Bowling Alley
● Empire Cinema
http://www.nice.org.uk/niceMedia/documents/CHB10-leisure-time-use-14-7.pdf
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1659
Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure and Sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (2006-2007; Internet access 2007, Omnibus Survey, Office for National Statistics
